Cleveland Browns By The Numbers: Breaking Down The Victory Over The Saints
The Cleveland Browns are a very hot topic both online and in the news after going into the home of the Super Bowl champ New Orleans Saints and silencing the home crowd in a 30-17 victory.
The Saints fall to a dismal 4-3 and look to have a serious case of the "Super Bowl hangover" that plagues so many NFL teams that win the big game the following season.
Cleveland improves to 2-5, but the Browns are much better than their 2009 counterpart and better than their record shows too.
The Browns have been in every single game this season, with the exception of the Steelers game, until the very end of the fourth quarter.
Now that they are going into a bye week, the Browns look to relish this victory for the next week while preparing for the Patriots in Week 9.
After looking at the box score, there are several notable bits of statistical info that need to be highlighted.
150 Yards on Trick Plays
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Reggie Hodges had what had to be one of the biggest holes open up before him to run through that has ever been seen in the NFL in recent memory.
The Saints were completely caught off guard as the punter rumbled 68 yards shedding a tackle or two in the process.
That, along with Peyton Hillis throwing a 13 yard pass to Colt McCoy and Eric Wright speeding down 62 yards of sideline after a lateral pass from Josh Cribbs on a punt return were only a few of the biggest trick plays to highlight in the win.
Scott Fujita Dominated His Old Team
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In 2009, Browns linebacker Scott Fujita was playing for the Saints and got a ring out of the deal too.
Now Fujita leads the Browns' defensive unit and one might think that part of the success the defense had against Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints offense could be a direct result of Fujita's knowledge of his former team.
Fujita was all over the field and led the Browns with 11 tackles (10 solo), one sack, one pass defended and one interception he returned for 16 yards.
Clearly, Fujita must have used his experience lining up against the Saints' offense in practices the past four seasons to his advantage today.
More Reggie Hodges
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Hodges might have had the play of the day with that 68 yards run on his fake punt, but there is a more impressive number to consider form his play this season.
He is fourth in the NFL in punts inside of the opponents 20 yard line with 14.
That is a great stat that has really helped the Browns' defense throughout this season since field position is key to a team winning more games.
If Hodges keeps up this pace, he will finish this season with 32 total punts inside the 20.
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Brian Robiskie, Where Have You Been?
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Second-year wideout Brian Robiskie has been a let down in his rookie year and so far in this, his second year in the NFL.
But Robiskie led all Browns receivers with three catches for 25 yards on Sunday.
It might not be the best numbers in the world but it is a positive sign of progress that he might be making too.
Usually a tight end or running back leads the team in receiving, so this is nothing but a good sign for things to hopefully come out of Robiskie.
David Bowens Ties NFL Record
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Linebacker David Bowens tied an NFL record for most interceptions returned for a touchdown in a single game with two.
Both came against one of the most consistently accurate passers in the NFL today in Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
Bowens may be a 12-year NFL veteran, but he still showed that he has the skill and speed to take not one but two picks back for a score.
Browns Were Statistically Beaten As a Team
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The Browns were beaten in nearly every statistical category by the Saints on Sunday except the Browns had more yards on the ground thanks to Peyton Hillis and Reggie Hodges.
The Browns only had 24:26 in time of possession compared to the Saints' 35:34.
Only 12 first downs compared to the Saints' 25.
The Browns only had 85 yards passing compared to the 336 yards passing by the Saints.
And the Browns' third and fourth down efficiency was terrible comparable speaking.
But one team stat really stood out, which leads to the next slide...
Zero Turnovers By The Browns, Four By the Saints
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The Browns had zero turnovers and they did not shoot themselves in the foot, as they have in past weeks.
Colt McCoy did not throw an interception or fumble the ball once.
But McCoy's favorite player while growing up, Brees, had four interceptions.
McCoy's Terrible Rating, But That Doesn't Matter in This Win
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McCoy may have only had a 68 quarterback rating in Sunday's win, but he played mistake free and did not force any passes into tight spots either.
His decision making process is improving right before Browns fans' eyes, and McCoy is really turning into a leader in the huddle too.
With two veterans in Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace, one of the two will probably be ready for the Patriots in Week 9 and after the Bye Week, but now a new question arises.
Continue McCoy's development with a hands-on approach and keep him the starting quarterback?
Or sit him back down so he can use his in-game experience the past two weeks to look at the game from the sidelines as he continues to learn the game with a clipboard?
Tough choice for Mangini and company since it looks like McCoy is really managing the offense well and his flaws have been minimal.
Bonus Secret Weapon the Browns Used in New Orleans
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In a surprise move, the Browns actually wore their brown home jerseys at an away game against the Saints.
Perhaps the Browns should continue wearing their brown jersey's for each away game moving forward.
It may sound a bit superstitious, but whatever it takes for the Browns to continue winning games is all the really matters.
What Did You See When You Looked at the Box Score?
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These are only several of the observations that can be seen a analyzed quickly through stats, but what do you see?
Do you think newly traded for running back Mike Bell had some sway in the preparation this week for the Saints just like Fujita? Bell did play for the Saints one season ago just as Fujita did.
Please comment below with your observations.
(Also posted on Dawg Scooper: THE Cleveland Browns Blog)
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